Death Rate of Old Trees Alarming: Scientist

According to Australian National University scientist and tree expert David Lindenmayer, the death rate of trees over a hundred years old has reached alarming levels.

The trend has been occurring all over the world, especially the old strangler figs in north Queensland’s wet tropics, in savannah country such as in the NT, and in the mountain ash forests of Victoria.

“It … appears to be happening in most types of forest,” said Professor Lindenmayer. “Large old trees are critical in many natural and human-dominated environments.”

While the decline may be due to things like agricultural practices, changes in fire regimes, logging, insect attack and climate changes, Professor Lindenmayer and his colleagues have called out for more research to be done on the matter.

The loss of old trees could indicate bigger problems, and could have large impacts on other species of plants and animals.

“Large, old trees play critical ecological roles and their loss could mean extinction for (some) creatures,” he said.